Buffalo Killers

This is a band that’s bound to have some killer vinyl at home. Started by a pair of brothers and a keyboardist-turned-drummer from their old band, Thee Shams, Buffalo Killers sit nicely on the calmer side of the Howlin’ Rain/Aquarium Drunkard crop of bands, groups for whom the ’80s never happened and Dinosaur Jr. were the Stones of the ’90s.

On Dig. Sow. Love. Grow. the band has made an album that sounds like it came out 40 years ago but for one big difference: it’s concise. The longest song is 4:44, and most are around the three minute mark. Opener “Get It” (which made me holler “Oh, Shit!” the first time I listened to it) could’ve been twice as long and would still be worth every second. Despite writing heavy riffs that can turn mountains into volcanoes, they don’t pummel you the way most power trios tend to (we’re looking at you Mountain, Blue Cheer, Gov’t Mule). Songs like “Blood on Your Hands” and “I Am Always Here” show a gift for creating memorable, hooky songs that recall the best of Steven Stills (dude was a beast before the coke took hold, seriously), only louder.